All written materials handled by Zebra Stripe are reviewed by native speakers of both original and target language, ensuring accuracy and coherency of a high professional standard right here in Qingdao, China.

Zebra Stripe also works on jobs with Korean and Japanese to Chinese/English translations as well as German, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Zebra Stripe also offers help with notary public and other bureaucratic administration in Qingdao once documents are translated and ready for submission.

Image courtesy of Zen Peacemakers

Learning a language is something we all know how to do, since we have done it once before with our mother tongues. What are some things that all people go through in the process of learning a language?

Repetition
Children are exposed to constant repetition of key words from a young age. Listening to basic children’s songs, rhymes, stories is something we all did as 2 to 5 year olds.

Mimicry
Learners of a language usually mimic the model who constantly speaks to them, whether a parent, relative, teacher, and media.

TV/Radio
We are all surrounded by these sounds when growing up, and whether we understand it or not, these forms of media should be used heavily to create a strong sense of the target language environment. TV shows are good repetitive models with regularly appearing characters. This is a good way to practice listening and mimicry of the spoken language.

Reading Books
Even children’s books (in some ways, especially) allows the language learner to have the same experience as native speakers at a very young age. Mother Goose and Dr Seuss and all of the rest of the texts that your typical 3 to 5 year old native English speaker might encounter. Don’t be afraid to act like a kid, after all, we all learned to speak our native languages when very young by reading and listening to some very simple and childish rhymes and songs. Learning a language is easy … even little kids can do it!

Familiarity with Culture
Find out as much about the target language’s culture as possible, from history to geography to politics and beyond. This is a good way to learn to talk with people from those cultures. Baseball for Americans, Hockey for Canadians, Football (Soccer) for the rest of the world… sports is always a good topic. Arts and entertainment is interesting as well. Learning to talk about things interesting to people using the target language allows the learners to have more conversations and more practice with native speakers.

Get involved with learning language and culture in Qingdao, China. Contact Zebra Stripe for more information.

One of the more common questions asked by language learners in China is “Which language is best to study as a 2nd Foreign Language?”. The fact is, in China every student learns English as a Second Language. There has even been some controversy as to the wisdom of requiring ALL college students to reach a certain level of proficiency in English. Famous art professor Chen Danqing has criticized this policy of the the Chinese educational system, but there it is anyway. Students in China must study English, and demonstrate ability to communicate in English via a national testing system linked to graduation for Chinese students at high school and university. This applies to all majors, even painting. After learning English, many students wish to learn a Second Foreign Language. So what are the choices for Chinese students who wish to learn another language and increase the pool of potential communication and business partners even more? Let’s look at them one by one. By the way, English is the language spoken in the greatest number of countries (115).

Here’s the top five in terms of number of countries speaking a language:

• English (115)
• French (35)
• Arabic (24)
• Spanish (20)
• Russian (16)

By the way, Mandarin Chinese has the most speakers (over a billion) and is 7th on the list of languages in terms of the number of countries where it is spoken, which is five totally.

Spanish
Learning Spanish is a good idea for Chinese students. Not only is the language similar to English which makes it easier to learn, it is one of the most prevalent languages in the world. People all over South America and Europe can speak Spanish. It just so happens that these are 2 areas of potential growth for trading and business with China. The number of Spanish speakers in the world is over 350 million people. Spanish is the official language is these countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, United States (New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela.

French
French is also a strong choice for Chinese students who can already speak English. Since French is known as an international language, and is the diplomatic working language of United Nations, it is a very official and useful language to know. Many people in African countries can speak French, thus opening the channels for Chinese people who wish to do business, study, and exchange ideas with people in what may be the most important continent in the world, for the future and now. The number of French speakers in the world is over 67 million people. French is the official or national language in these countries: Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Guernsey, Guinea, Haiti, India (Karikal, Pondicherry), Italy, Jersey, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, New Caledonia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, United States (Louisiana), Vanuatu.

Arabic
Arabic, like Spanish and French, is spoken by large numbers of people across the globe. Learning Arabic is a good choice for Chinese students who wish to do business with and learn more about people in countries like Jordan, Turkey, and more. The number of Arabic speakers in the world is over 200 million people. Modern standard Arabic is used as the official language in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen. Hasaniya Arabic is used in Mauritania and Senegal. Arabic is the national language of Mali.

Hindi
India is one of the largest and most important countries in the world. The development of the world’s second most populous country has been foreshadowed in the 21st century only by China itself. So it is a natural that the language of India is important. One thing though, is that India also uses English as an official language, and most trade or other communication, be it educational or personal, can be carried out in English. So this may not be the best choice, but it is still a viable option for Chinese who want to take advantage of sheer numbers. The number of Hindi speakers in the world is over 370 million people. Besides India, Hindi is also the official language for Fiji.

Note about English:
Learning English is still the best choice for a Second Language for native Chinese speakers. Here is a list of countries where English is the official language: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China), India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Maritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevs, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somolia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Business
Companies in Qingdao, either Chinese or foreign, need to bring employees up to speed and on the same page re: language abilities. Sometimes it really is easier and indeed necessary to have many people study English instead of one or two managers study Chinese. In some cases, it is relevant to have the supervisors learn more Chinese to communicate with workers. Usually a combination of both types of training will benefit companies in China as people need to better understand each other. Learning more about the language of the country you work in is always a great idea.

Travel
Likewise, people who want to travel in China, Europe, the Americas, etc, need to have language skills to survive. Chinese people want to go abroad and learn about the world. People from other countries want to come to China to understand the world’s most populous country and its people and culture. Challenge yourself to learn more about the language of the place you are travelling to – we can help you understand the words and grammar but even more, we help you understand the background of the language. The history, the structure, and the connections of language to culture and the people who speak it. There are some things that just can’t be learned from a text book or a tape. Let us show you how to better connect with locals.

Educational Purposes
Going to another country for study is the dream of many people in the world. Chinese students who want to travel abroad for education need to prepare for exams, interviews, and eventual arrival and commencement of study in a foreign country. Prepare for these golden opportunities by getting knowledge and information about the language and culture of the country you are going to. If you are already in China, we know that what we can provide is one of the best and most informative consultations on China, Chinese language, culture and people. We welcome Chinese students seeking advice about travel abroad for study.

If you are interested in learning English and Mandarin Chinese in Qingdao, China, Zebra Stripe can help you achieve your language goals. Contact us for a consultation session today.

Proofreading:
The art of proofreading involves editing and rewriting with an eye for detail and attention to getting the job done right. At times, proofreading is more challenging than writing or translating, since the current translation has a structure that is pre-existing and needs to be worked with, respected, and sometimes recreated. Finding the balance between grammatical integrity and linguistic intent involves an understanding of the rhythm and intricacies of a language. Zebra Stripe translators and proofreaders have years of experience in doing just that, finding the right mix of words to get your message across.

Contact us today for more information.

Our core services are:

• language training (English/Mandarin Chinese)
• translation (written) and interpretation (spoken) for English and Mandarin Chinese. Can also handle French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, and more
• providing bilingual assistance for businesspeople searching for information, introductions, guides
• cultural training and consultation for doing business in China

CONTACT
69 Haimen Lu, Qingdao, China, 266000 / info@zebrastripechina.com                    (86) 136.6886.7325